China’s Li Na hits a backhand return to Russia’s Maria Sharapova during their semifinal match at the Australian Open in Melbourne Thursday.

Stephens falls to

Victoria Azarenka

By JOHN PYE

The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia) — Li Na used the heat to her advantage and worked No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova around Rod Laver Arena in a 6-2, 6-2 win on Thursday that put her in the Australian Open final for the second time in three years.

Sharapova was the heavy favorite after conceding only nine games in her first five matches, a record at the Australian Open since it expanded to a 128-player draw in 1988.

But the semifinal started badly for the 25-year-old Russian, serving double-faults to lose the first two points and conceding a break in the first game.

Li had the backing of the crowd at Rod Laver Arena, where dozens of red and white Chinese flags swirled in a light breeze, and where the temperature topped 93 degree during the first of the semifinals.

Li was the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final when she lost to Kim Clijsters in Melbourne in 2011. She had her breakthrough a few months later when she won the French Open, beating Sharapova in the semifinals along the way.

She will now play the winner of Thursday’s later semifinal between top-ranked Victoria Azarenka, the defending champion, and 19-year-old American Sloane Stephens.

The 29th-seeded Stephens produced the upset of the tournament to advance to a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time, beating Serena Williams on Wednesday.

Stephens won 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, starting to swing hard when she was down a set and a break and keeping her composure when Williams, one of her childhood heroes, jarred her back and needed a medical timeout.

Stephen’s surprise win did instant wonders for her celebrity.

Before the match, Stephens said she had about 17,000 followers on Twitter. A few hours after reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal, she had more than 40,000.

And she sounded like an excited schoolgirl as she gushed about receiving a congratulatory tweet from American singer John Legend.

“I want John Legend to sing at my wedding!” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God. He tweeted me. What can I do?”’

She re-tweeted the sentiments from Legend: “Just found out her dad is John Stephens from the Pats. (that’s my real name) I had his football card when I was a kid. I was so proud, ha ha.”

Stephens’ father, who played for the New England Patriots, died in 2009.

Retired basketball star Shaquille O’Neal sent a message that read: “When u defeat a legend you become a legend.” The Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki wrote, “Wow. What a win for Sloane. Some amazing defense. She gets every ball back.”

While there were surprises in the composition of the women’s last four, the makeup of the men’s semifinals was as expected.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will continue his bid for a third consecutive Australian title when he takes on No. 4 David Ferrer on Thursday. No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Andy Murray will meet today.

Djokovic had to get through a five-hour five-setter against No. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round. Ferrer had trouble in his quarterfinal against fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who served for the match in the third and fourth sets before losing in five.

Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, hadn’t dropped serve in the tournament until the first set against 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday. He ended up with a struggle on his hands before advancing to his 10th consecutive Australian Open semifinal with a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 win in 3 hours, 34 minutes.